News for Restaurants in Orange County, CA May 2012 Archive

Eat Chow, the small yet popular casual café in Costa Mesa's East Bay neighborhood, has opened up a second location in southwestern Newport Beach. Like the original location, the new space will offer an eclectic blend of New American breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings, ranging from small plates and sandwiches to heartier fare like grilled Angus hanger steak and herb-roasted half chicken served with a cucumber, olive, onion and goat cheese salad. For more information, please visit www.eatchownow.com. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner daily. Eat Chow, 211 62nd St., Newport Beach, CA 92663, 949-423-7080.

Mi Casa, the popular family-friendly Mexican restaurant located in Costa Mesa, has opened up a second location in South Orange County. Like the original location, the new venue located in Rancho Santa Margarita is featuring a full menu of classic Mexican-American dishes for lunch and dinner, as well as a solid list of margaritas. Lunch & Dinner daily. Mi Casa, 22322 El Paseo, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, 949-635-9538.

Bruxie is bringing their sweet and savory waffle sandwiches to Rancho Santa Margarita on May 22, 2012. Like the other locations, this third branch of the restaurant will serve sandwiches on Belgian waffles as well as salads, frozen custard shakes, floats and sundaes. For more information, visit www.bruxie.com. Bruxie, 22205 El Paseo, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, no phone.

The popular Orange County food truck Slapfish has stopped rolling and opened up a brick-and-mortar version of its mobile kitchen. Located in Huntington Beach, the fast-casual venue will continue to offer its array of seasonally driven seafood dishes featuring responsibly sourced ingredients, including such fan favorites as the "lobsticle" lobster-on-a-stick and the lobster grinder. For more information, please visit www.slapfishsocal.com. Lunch & Dinner daily. Slapfish, Newland Shopping Center, 19696 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach, CA 92648, 714-963-3900.

News
Bytes

New Summer Menu at Haven GastropubHaven Gastropub in the Orange Circle has unveiled a new summer menu that expands the culinary boundaries of the venue like never before. Executive chef Greg Daniels and chef de cuisine Matthew Roman have teamed up to create several progressive items that emphasize exotic cuts of meat and envelope-pushing concepts. Highlighted menu items include fried pig ears served with tangerine and chili glaze; lamb sweetbreads accompanied by sugar snap peas and blistered cherry tomatoes; and duck confit poutine. For more information, please visit www.havengastropub.com. Haven Gastropub, Old Towne Orange, 190 S. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866, 714-221-0680.

Sunday Bloody Mary Bar at ZimzalaZimzala in Huntington Beach features their Sunday Bloody Mary Bar, a drink program boasting several intriguing variations on the classic tomato juice-based weekend cocktail. Highlighted takes of the beverage include a version infused with Corona beer, a Cuban-themed variant made with spiced rum and red peppers, and an adaptation involving basil vodka and fresh basil leaves. Prices of the beverages range from $6 to $10. For more information, please visit www.restaurantzimzala.com. Zimzala, Shorebreak Hotel, 500 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, CA 92648, 714-861-4470.

Sunday Suppers at The PlaygroundThe Playground in Santa Ana offers a unique SundaySupper experience that showcases the restaurant's dedication to fresh ingredients and spontaneous creativity. Rather than receiving a menu upon arrival, each party will be informed of what fresh ingredients are in the kitchen, and will then work with the restaurant to design a multi-course menu based on what is available. The cost is $30 per person, excluding beverage and gratuity. The first seating takes place at 5 p.m. Reservations are mandatory, and there is one reservation for every 15-minute block. For more information, please visit www.theplaygrounddtsa.com. The Playground, 220 E. 4th St., Santa Ana, CA 92701, 714-560-4444.

I Love Sushi in Costa Mesa has ceased operations. The shuttering of the small venue, which featured a wide arrangement of cooked specialties and grilled fish items, in addition to its sushi and sashimi offerings, is due to new ownership, who is reinventing the space as a Japanese bistro. I Love Sushi, 2340 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, no phone.